Materials science and technology covers a wide range of disciplines, techniques and methods designed for the development of materials in the service of society’s new challenges.
In this context, the INNOMAT group, integrated in the Institute of Material Science of the Universitat de València, focuses its research around two subjects with a clear complementarity. The first deals with the development of innovative protocols for preparing porous, mesoporous or nanostructured materials with characteristics that allow its use in a wide variety of applications: sensors, catalysts, coatings, analysis, restoration and preservation of historical heritage, etc. These materials are specifically designed either to amplify some of the physical or chemical properties of their components, or to devise new ones from an intelligent design. This goal requires the monitoring of many parameters related to the physical, chemical and structural nature of the compounds obtained. Thus the use of the appropriate characterisation techniques is needed, as well as the development of other techniques of innovative nature, distinguished by their specific properties and high added value: high spatial resolution, high sensitivity, versatility or portability. The analysis of the physical and chemical properties of materials and the development of new characterisation techniques is therefore the second main activity of the group. This double purpose on characterisation and development combines the collaborative effort of physics and chemistry researchers, by whom it is integrated. Then, it provides the group with a clear multidiscipliinary nature. More specifically, the group develops the following activities:
- Design and synthesis of innovative materials:
- Oxidic and non-oxific materials: preparation and characterisation of oxidic materials with variable-sized particles.
- Massive and porous nanoparticles with the incorporation of several multifunctional groups for applications in diagnosis and drug delivery.
- Mesoporous nanocomposites containing gold nanoparticles for the catalytic decomposition of CO and VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
- • Silica-polymer nanocomposites for controlled delivery applications, remediation (CO2 capture) and sensors.
- Porous silica modified with inorganic species, organic groups and coordination complexes, as heterogeneous catalysts for green chemistry.
- Hybrid functionalised silica for detecting VOCs.
- Materials for the restoration and conservation of cultural heritage.
- Development of material characterisation innovative techniques
- Adaptation of a spectrometer Ramar to use it on the research of cultural heritage items, allowing measures in situ, without simple taking.
- Adaptation of a portable spectrometer EDXRF to use it on the research of cultural heritage items, allowing measures in situ, without simple taking.
- Adaptation of an atomic force microscope for the optical and electric characterisation of high spatial resolution nanomaterials.
The group’s research activity focuses on the design, preparation and characterisation of any type of organic molecules, both natural and synthetic substances, and their use for various biotechnological applications. These include, fundamentally, obtaining antibodies and developing immunoassays for the determination of analytes of interest in agri-food and environmental samples, and the development and scaling of the synthesis of pheromones for its application in ecological integrated control of agricultural pests.
